Media content is available to a user from a wide variety of sources. Using today's mobile technologies, a user may view movies, television shows, home-made videos, etc., anywhere a satellite signal, broadcast signal, or Internet connection is available. Content producers typically rate movies and shows according to a particular standard in order to assist a user in determining age-appropriate content in which to view. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) developed a rating system for motion pictures which provides parental guidance as well as viewing audience regulation (G, PG, PG-13, etc.). The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) also has a similar rating system for television programs, which are TV-Y, TV-MA, etc. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has a rating system pertaining to video games and apps, which are E, E-10+, T, M, and A. My Book Ratings (or MBR) has a rating system for book content, which are All Ages, Mild, Mild+, Moderate, Moderate+, and Adult. And, the Parent Advisory Label (PAL) provides a warning label for audio content that contains explicit content. The ratings discussed above pertain to a particular content as a whole and are typically based on public sentiment.
The MPAA uses various rating components to rate movies, such as violence, language, substance abuse, etc. and most large theater chains require a movie to have an MPAA rating before showing the movie. Unfortunately obtaining an MPAA rating for a movie is expensive and, some would argue, subjective to the opinions of a rating board. For example, violence must be kept to a minimum in G rated films and must not be intense in PG rated films. Depictions of intense violence are permitted under the PG-13 rating, but violence that is both realistic and extreme or persistent will generally receive at least an R rating. As can be seen, these guidelines are subjective and older generation board members typically have a different opinion than younger generation board members.
In addition, lower-budget films typically cannot afford the prices of the MPAA rating process. As such, the lower-budget films are not shown in large theaters and, in turn, are not able to receive a large amount of revenue relative to the MPAA rated movies.